Have you ever been at a crossroad not knowing which way to go? What I mean by the crossroad—it is the test or challenge that not only do we face physically but also spiritually. We were coming home from picking up my husband’s mother one night. I had been driving, not paying attention, got lost—went West instead of East. We were about 30 minutes out of our way. If it wasn’t for my husband waking up, I would have been very lost. We were all very tired and frustrated. If you are not paying attention or watching around when you are at your crossroad, you can miss the direction God is calling you to. You can get caught up in the emotions and self.
In God’s word Matthew 11:15 He says,
“He who has ears to hear, let him be listening and let him consider and perceive and comprehend by hearing.”
I have been stuck there not once but many times, just pondering on which way to go.
Before Christ we were just wanderers, wandering around in our own little world and direction with no real purpose of life. Just here I am, doing my job. Making the best of what I have. Settling for less and not even knowing it.
It is a journey to walk on the road that Jesus laid before us. We will get sidetracked, but Jesus sends His helper—the Holy Spirit—that dwells inside each of us to guide us back on track if we will be sensitive to His leading and if we submit ourselves under the hand of God.
In God’s word, Jeremiah 29:11, it says,
“For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil. To give you hope in your final outcome.”
It is important to make plans, but we need to be flexible and ask the Holy Spirit to direct our path.
Proverbs 16:9 says,
“A man’s mind plans his way but the Lord directs his steps and makes them sure.”
We all have some kind of plan for our life figured out—or we think we do. But in the end, Jesus’ plans for our lives will stand if we allow Him to do the work in us. God has our destiny in His hand. We just need to find it in Him—by being in the Word of God, prayer, worship, and fellowship.
The Lord had given me an example about a trip on an airplane. Say God wants to fly you to Florida. You may have a fear of flying, so that may be your first action against trusting God for what He has for you. Second, you tell God, “I don’t want to go to Florida, I don’t see the purpose—I want to go to Mexico.” Then you argue with God. You fight, you struggle, you make a decision and say, “What chance do I have to lose?” So, you get to the airport, check in, go to your gate. Then all of a sudden you get distracted. You did not hear your flight being called. This is how our walk with the Lord can be—we get distracted, caught up in the busyness of life and self, and lose sight of the destination God has for us. When we get distracted, we are unable to tune into God’s voice.
Also, we lose sight of the wonderful things God wants to show us on the crossroad. We just need to allow Jesus to be our pilot and the Holy Spirit be our co-pilot. If you allow Jesus to take over and stop and listen in the blistering wind of the crossroad that you are on, you may just hear a voice say,
Isaiah 30:21
“And your ears will hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it,’ when you turn to the right hand and when you turn to the left.”
Why do we disobey? One reason is fear, another is our selfish desires, and a lack of commitment. We need to step out of the boat like Peter did and stretch out our faith by keeping our eyes on Jesus Christ. When I am afraid, I will turn to the Lord. Whom am I going to listen to?
What this has taught me—first of all—is that Jesus has a great plan and path for us. It has also taught me that I have to know whom I am submitting to.
John 14:6
“I am the way, the truth, and the life.” We need to know Jesus in an intimate way in order to submit to His way that He called us to.
Since we are in Christ, we need to know who we are in Him.
Ephesians 2:10
“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus, that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us (taking the paths which He prepared ahead of time) that we should walk in them.”
Then we need to know His love and will for us.
Ephesians 5:1–2
“Therefore be imitators of God. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a slain offering and sacrifice to God—a sweet fragrance.”
Now let’s start walking on the journey of that crossroad Jesus laid before us.
2 Corinthians 5:7
“For we walk by faith, not by sight or appearance.”
We need to walk by the Spirit of God.
Galatians 5:16–18
“But I say, walk and live in the Holy Spirit (responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit); then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh…”
Our flesh tells us to go down the comfort road that is familiar to us. But our spirit challenges us to go down the high weeds and rocky roads. As you stop at the crossroad, you turn to the left and you turn to the right. You see the path that has been walked on over and over again, so you think that is the right way to go. But Jesus calls your name and says go down that other road that has not been walked on. He says, “I have wonderful things to show you.” He said it was not going to be easy by any means, but He is there with you and guiding you as He pushes you through the high weeds where it is difficult for you to see. Are you going in faith and trusting, or are you going in fear and trembling?
We all struggle with our flesh daily. We need to prepare ourselves daily by putting on the armor of God so when we do come to our crossroad in life we will be ready and protected to face it head-on with Jesus Christ in us and working through us.
Ephesians 6:14–17
“Stand therefore (hold your ground), having tightened the belt of truth around your loins and having put on the breastplate of integrity and of moral rectitude and right standing with God. And having shod your feet in preparation to face the enemy with the firm-footed stability, the promptness, and the readiness produced by the good news of the Gospel of peace. Lift up over all the shield of saving faith, upon which you can quench all the flaming missiles of the wicked one. And take up the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God.”
He also tells us to offer up ourselves to Him as a daily living sacrifice and to commit our ways to Him.
Psalm 37:5
“Commit your way to the Lord; roll each care of your load on Him; trust and be confident also in Him, and He will bring it to pass.”
Romans 12:1
“I appeal to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of all the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies—presenting all your members—as a living sacrifice, holy, devoted and well-pleasing to God, which is your reasonable service and spiritual worship.”
My challenge to you is this: Are you going to put on those old comfortable shoes on the crossroad, or are you going to put on the shoes of Jesus Christ that need to be stretched and molded and shaped to your fit?
When you are at your crossroad of life, only you can make that choice on how you’re going to walk. I say today—try something new. Try the crossroad that Jesus laid before you. I do not know what that looks like personally for you, but God does, and He will show you. Each one of us will have to face our own crossroad, but we all have one Leader—that is Jesus Christ. Some of your crossroads may come small or big and unexpected, and we cannot control when they will pop up in our lives. But we can control how we respond to them. And some of the crossroads we face are because of our own doing. Good news—Jesus cares so much about us that He will guide us out to the open road.
One last story. It is kinda quirky but makes a point. My mother-in-law has a hammer toe that is pretty bad. The shoes she wears are twice her size. She wears them due to comfort. The doctor said she needs to wear shoes that fit—it may hurt, but it will help her hammer toe instead of making it worse. The shoes that fit hurt her but are good for her.
Just like Jesus’ shoes that we put on. It may hurt, but they will help us get through our crossroad. Jesus said life is not going to be easy, but walking in His shoes will strengthen us and grow us.
Are you ready today to lay down your shoes and wear the shoes of Jesus?